In advance of the trade deadline, the Dolphins have freed up some 2025 cap space. Linebacker Jordyn Brooks‘ deal has been restructured, per ESPN’s Field Yates. 
This is a simple restructure, with part of Brooks’ $7.82MM base salary for the season being converted into a signing bonus. The move has created $3MM in cap space. Miami entered Thursday near the bottom of the league with $4.9MM in available funds.
As the trade deadline approaches, teams expecting to operate as buyers are generally the ones which carve out immediate cap space to absorb incoming contracts. Sitting at 1-6 on the year, though, the Dolphins are certainly not seen as a candidate to make a notable addition over the coming days. On the contrary, Miami is viewed as a seller and several notable players have drawn interest.
Brooks is not among them, and today’s move if obviously a sign he will remain in the fold moving forward. The former first-rounder easily topped 100 tackles during his final three seasons with the Seahawks before signing with Miami during his first trip to free agency in 2024. Brooks took a three-year pact averaging $8.75MM per season upon joining the Dolphins.
The 28-year-old totaled 143 tackles and three sacks during his debut Miami campaign. He has continued to operate as a full-time starter this season, and that will no doubt remain the case moving forward. Brooks is under contract through 2026. He is in line to stay in place with the Dolphins at a time when other members of the team’s defense could be on the move shortly. It will also be interesting to see how the team proceeds over the coming days with additional cap room.